Driving mechanism for multicouple printing-machines



0. L. RAABE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MULTICOUPLE PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2, I920.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

UNITED STATESTPATENT OFFICE.

OTTO L. RAABE, 0F JERSEY ,CITY, NEW JERSEY, AS'SIGNOR TO B. HOE AND 00., OF-

'NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.-

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MULTICOUPLE PRINTING-'MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. 19, 1920.

Application filed January 2, 1920. Serial No. 349,010.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO L. RAABE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Multicouple Printing-Machines, fully described and represented in the. following specification and the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same. I

This invention relates to certain improvements in driving .mechanism for rotary printing machines, and particularly to that class of machines employing a plurality of printing couples which are spaced apart or separated from each other, as for instance, such a machine as is shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 143,584, filed January 22, 1917. 7

In rotary webprinting machines, particularly in machines printing several pages wide, the cylinders are very heavy, and

where such cylinders are driven directly through gears thereon from the main driving shaft, the weight of the cylinders tends to wear down and deepen the teeth of the driving gears, thusinjuringthe gears and causing an. improper relation betweenthe driving and driven, elementa Furthermore, it is desirable in this class 0]": machines that the printing couples be separated from each other so as to have a clear side, that is, with the inking mechanism arranged inside the couples, sothat a Web can be led through the couples from the clear side of the couples around the inking mechanism.

It is the object of the present invention to produce a drive whereby a plurality of spaced printing couples may be driven from the distributing cylinders of the couple, so that the couples are free of the gears on the main driving shaft, the distributer being arranged so that any down wear dueto the v weight of the printingcouple does not interfere with the proper mesh ofthe gears.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a driving mechanism inwhich the distributing cylinders for a plurality of couples are so arranged that aplnrality of distributers, as two, may be driven from th same shaft. I, p a

With this and other objects notspecifically referred to in View, the invention consists in certain novel arrangements shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is an end elevation of so much of a multicouple rotary printingmechanism as is necessary to an understanding of the in vention. 1

Referring now to this drawing, the invention is illustrated ,as embodied ina mechanism including a plurality of printing couples which may be, as shown, printing and perfecting couples. These couples will be so" arranged with respect to their inking mechanisms that they will have a clear side, sothat a web can be rotated through them from the'clear side. Preferably, furthermore, the couples will be arranged n staggered or oflisetrelation vertically to each other, with the printing cylinders on the outside and the IBSPGCUVG inking mechanisms in line above each other on theiiis'ideof the cylinders, this arrangement permitting the 0011- i ples and theirinking mechanisms to be arranged in a small spaceand permitting the 'twocouples tobe driven from the distribu ,ters of tllellflnkln g mechanism by a single shaft. r

In the particular construction shown, there is provided a rotary printing couple havinga plate cylinderl, and an impression cylinder 2, mounted in any suitable framing 3, the impression cylinder being preferably located vertically below the'plate cylinder.

-This printing couple includes an inking mechanism compris ng a, founta n 4, distributing cylinder or'drum'5,]and form rolls 6, and this mechanism is arranged on the inside, or as shown at the left of the plate cylinder 1, and so that the axes of theplate cylinder 1 and distributing cylinder 5 are substantially in horizontal alineinent.

A second printing couple, which is in the; I

present instance, a perfecting couple, s.

mounted suitably in framing 3 and includes a plate cylinder 7 and mpression cylinder 8. This couple is'inkedfroin a fountainroll 9 and distributer cylinder or drum 10 and form rolls 11. The inking mechanism for this couple is arranged as shownat the right of the printing cylindersso as to leave the printing cylinders on the outside with the and distributer '10 in substantial horizontalalineinent. The

axes of; the plate cylinder 7 each onthe outside of their respective inking mechanisms which are arranged above each other, and the distributers 5, 10am ar ranged so that their axes are in substantially the same vertical line.

In accordance with the invention, one member of'each of the couples, 1, 2, 7 8 is driven from the distributing cylinder of the inking mechanism of the couple, and in the best constructions, these distributing cylinders are driven by a common shaft from the main driving shaft of the machine.

lVhile the specific arrangement for effecting this may be somewhat varied, in the particular construction illustrated, there is provided a vertical shaft 12, which at its lower end is provided with a bevel gear 13 meshing with a bevel gear 14: on the main power shaft 15 of the machine. This shaft 12 near its lower. end is provided with a bevel gear 16, which meshes with a bevel gear 17 carried on the end of the shaft 18 of the distributer 5, through which this distributor is driven. The form cylinder 1 is driven from the distributer 5. through a gear 19 carried onthe form cylinder shaft which meshes with an intermediate gear 20, which in turn meshes with a gear 21 on the shaft 18 of the distributer.

At its upper end the shaft 12 has fast thereon a bevel gear 22, which meshes with a bevel gear 23 carried on the shaft 2% of the distributer 10, the distributer thus being driven from the shaft 12. The formcylinder 7 is driven from the distributer 10 by a gear 25 carried on the form cylinder shaft which meshes with an intermediate 26,

couple ,machines where the couples. are

spaced apart and one in which the couples are so driven from the distributers that they are free of the gears on the main power shaft of the machines, and the driving connections for the couples are such that any sagging of the couples does not injure or effect the drive.

While the particular type of gear shown and described is effective, it will be understood that as to specific details the gears may be varied without departing from the invention and the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement shown andv de scribed.

lVhat I claim is. r

1. In a driving mechanism for multicouple rotary printing machines, the combination with spaced printing couples, of

inking mechanisms therefor, which inking mechanism includes a distributing cyhnder or drum, and means for driving one member of each of the printing couples from the distributing cylinder of its inking mechanism.

2. In a driving mechanism for multicouple rotary printing machines, the combination of a' pair of printing couples and inking mechanism for each couple including zontally with one member of the couple and vertically witheach other, a power shaft, a shaft driven therefrom, driving connections for the distributing cylinders from the second shaft, and driving connections from the distributing cylinders to one member of the couples.

4. In a driving mechanism for printing machines, a vertically arranged printing couple including a form and impression cylinder with the impression cylinder be low, an inking mechanism including a dis tributing cylinder horizontally in line with the form cylinder, a second vertically arranged printing couple including a form and impression cylinder with the impression cylinder below, ail-inking mechanism therefor including a distributing cylinder in line horizontally with the form cylinder, a vertical shaft, gear connections between the shaft and both distributing cylinders, a power shaft, and gear connections between the vertical shaft and power shaft.

5. In a driving mechanism for printing machines, the combination of a printing couple, a second printing couple in off-set relationthereto, inking mechanisms on the inside of each couple, each inking mechanism including a distributing cylinder, a

vertical shaftbetween the couples and common to the distributing cylinders, means for driving the shaft, and connections between the distributing cylinders and one member of each of the couples.

couple printing machines, the combination of a plurallty of spaced printlng couples,

separate inking mechanisms therefor, and

my hand.

OTTO L. RAABE.

I 6. In a drlving mechanism for multi 

